I think the better comparison for Walcott would be to Lennon or Deulofeu. Lightning quick, Lennon plays wider and is better at tracking back, Walcott is a more direct running, wide forward. In terms of output, you'd expect more of Walcott, because he's taking more of the teams chances and contributing less in other areas.

With Bolasie, he's changing direction, moving players off balance, using his strength to go past players, creating space for others. Bolasie covers more ground with the ball at his feet than almost any other player in PL, more similar to Barkley, Hazard, Sanchez, Mane. Teams often double up against him and while it rarely comes to something, he's often hurdled 4 barriers before he's fallen at the 5th.

Walcott has got a decent return for what is generally a simple trick, he's a decent squad option, I don't see him being part of a successful team. With Bolasie I think any team in the world would be happy to have him as a wild card. He's a chronic underachiever for his talent, in terms of doing more of the hard work than the easy stuff. But like Barkley, he would have less responsibility to create in a better team where the creative burden is more shared. Create space for others and one of them can put in the cross or through ball. We wouldn't be anywhere near as bad this season, if we'd had a fit Bolasie playing, we've had no one who wants the ball or can go past a player and/or create, 2 out of 3 ain't bad. And give him some time to recalibrate his legs and then we'll see what he can do.

Can't believe you've just called yannick bolasie one of the most technically gifted players in the league.

That's the maddest thing anyone has ever said on here.

I'm struggling to think of better dribblers we've had at club in my memory and effective dribblers are worth their weight in gold. In terms of being able to do tricks and incorporate them into the running path, it takes a level of touch and improvisation that very few players possess. Christiano Ronaldo was a show pony that became productive. Some players need to beat opponents half a dozen times because they can't get away from them, some just can't stop taking the piss, until they decide they want to be more effective.

Bolasie's final ball is often shocking, decision making near opposition goal is dire, but in terms of his skill on the ball, pace to go past a man, strength to hold a player off, there are not many who influence a game as strongly as he does. In terms of efficiency Walcott is highly clinical, Bolasie is highly inefficient, despite similar outputs in recent years. But Bolasie contributes far more to outside of assists and goals, working out of possession, moving the team out of trouble, but also in terms of movement and passing.

We've been crying out all season for someone who wants the ball, run at players, make something or create space for others to do so. Barkley and Bolasie averaged about 3 dribbles a game in recent seasons. This season only Niasse, Lookman and Vlasic average atleast 1 and they've not got many minutes and only 2 assists between them.

Spurs tend to use Dembele as the player who can hold off players, he runs forward as an extra man with Eriksen left t create. While players like Hazard, Mahrez, Sanchez have very little in the way of defensive responsibility. But they all provide a safe passage for the ball through the opposition midfield and onto defence. Think of it like US Football, we end up chucking long passes, because we have no short passing game, because we have no running game. When you lose an ability, your opponent doesn't have to cover that eventuality. Even if they do cover it, you're not going to break the lines without incisive passing or reliable routes, we have neither.

I was thinking in terms of the creative type, who produces some masterpieces, but never really got away from the attraction of abstract dreams, over the glory, success or accolades. But Milli Vanilli is probably a bad example of simple chart success, as they are all show and no substance, which is a bit Bolasie at times. Maybe Status Quo would have been a better example, it's a simple trick and it gets results.

But just strikes me as similar to Sigurdsson signing, where stats paint a more favourable impression. There has to be some thought to how the pieces are supposed to fit together, Walcott plays for a top team on a big pitch against slow or tired defenders when other players are out. I wouldn't be surprised if Sandro would did well in those circumstances and we've got no way of utilising his pace at the moment, plus we've got Lennon as a whippet on the right. We seem to just be accumulating the same types of player, and all of them key cogs in other teams, then keeping them as spare parts with no balance or plan how it fits together.

I think the problem is youíve said technically gifted. Generally people think of technical ability they donít just think beat a man, they think bergkamp, zidane, de bruyne.

I absolutely agree that he is a good ball carrier and something weíve desperately missed wibut hour Barkley. E.g the play down the left against MU when he stood two players up and knocked it past them in quick succession and suddenly turned defence into attack - absolutely fantastic he should do that as much as possible. Stand them up then go, very few can stick with him. But to be honest, I enjoy his flicks and tricks itís great to watch, just wish he would be more productive and efficient with his style.

Re: technical ability - itís definitely a factor, but Iíd argue Bolassie is probably more like something on the Adama Traore scale of exception that proves the rule than any of the others :

Traore is more Walcott for me, but he hasn't learned to pass or shoot yet, once you've learned to outrun someone, what more do you need. Niasse is more productive than Walcott, and also demonstrates how difficult it is to run with the ball at pace, while trying to do more than go in a straight line or go through players.

Bolasie is carrying the ball past oncoming traffic, squared up, while tap dancing sideways, sleight of foot with either foot. He's patting his stomach, rubbing his head, performing the riverdance and then miskicking it out of play. But when he's confident and has his rhythm multiple opponents can't live with him. At the moment it's 'on his day', but once he gets back up to speed, his day will become more often.

He always wants the ball and rarely loses it, often carries it huge distances, its a pretty rare trait for a footballer at this level and hard to do consistently. I wouldn't compare Bolasie to Zidane, De Bruyne, Bergkamp, in terms of productivity atm, or in terms of passing vision, crossing or shooting anything to do with releasing the ball, but in terms of technical ability with the ball and dribbling at players, I'm not sure there's a player in PL with more ways to beat a man or who does it more often. And all those players got better with age.

He's more like a quick Denilson, over complicating things, but its how creative players progress to productive ones and Bolasie had already shown improvement in this area at Palace. You have to make mistakes to experiment, but at some point you're not adding much to overall package, for that you need to be a bit more wise. When you get near 30 you shouldn't be making the same mistakes you were making a decade earlier, work smarter rather than just working hard. But he also needs team mates to bounce of and work with and it's hard to see who at the moment.